Ukraine demanded, on Sunday March 26, “that an extraordinary meeting of the United Nations Security Council be convened immediately” in order to respond to “nuclear blackmail” of Russia, following Vladimir Putin’s announcement of the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. “Ukraine expects effective actions to counter Kremlin nuclear blackmail from UK, China, US and France” as permanent members of the UN Security Council, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, also calling on the G7 and the European Union to put pressure on Belarus. Follow our live.
Russian tactical nuclear weapons soon in Belarus. Vladimir Putin announced on Saturday that Russia would deploy nuclear weapons “tactics” in Belarus, and that ten planes had already been equipped to be ready to use this kind of armament. “From April 3, we begin to train the crews. And on July 1, we will complete the construction of a special warehouse for tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus”detailed the Russian president.
A decision already outlined in June. Moscow presents this deployment as a response to British announcements concerning deliveries to kyiv of depleted uranium munitions. But on June 25, 2022, Vladimir Putin had already promised “in the coming months” the transfer of “Iskander-M tactical missile systems, which can use ballistic or cruise missiles, in their conventional and nuclear versions”.
NATO says “monitor the situation closely”. The North Atlantic military alliance has denounced a “dangerous and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric”asserting “monitor the situation closely” after the announcement from Moscow. The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, for his part castigated “an irresponsible escalation and a threat to European security”warning that the EU was “ready” to adopt new sanctions against Minsk.